Named After Legends details your ascent from the Lehman Village Housing Projects to become successful in various global endeavors, illustrating that personal history does not dictate future potential. Why was this an important book for you to write?

When I started writing, I didn’t have any intentions of publishing a book. Writing was something I did for myself. It started as therapy work. And going to therapy was a decision I made for myself to get professional help in working through some of the mental blocks I was having. But in that work, something beautiful blossomed. The words I wrote about myself, for myself, ended up being the exact thing I needed to help bring me back from what seemed like rock bottom. And it was in a moment of clarity that I realized if my words could have such a profound effect on me, then I knew there was at least one other person out there that could benefit from them as well. Reflecting on how far I came made me realize how impactful my story could be for other people that come from where I come from. So I decided to put my words together in book form. Immediately after that decision, every milestone along the journey of concept to product felt like purpose. So many of us spend our lives searching for that feeling, so I knew this was a gift from God. And I couldn’t deny him when he’s done so much for me.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

Once I decided I was going to publish I wanted to be intentional about my messaging. The main idea is that there’s this cycle of survival, healing, and thriving. Living life in survival mode is ok, but we can’t stay there. Once we survive we have to shift our energy and focus to healing, so that we can thrive. It was important for me to share that we all deserve to thrive in whatever way we see fit for ourselves. Regardless of what we’ve had to endure to survive.

I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?

The letters to my cousins who passed away were by far the hardest thing to write about. I would often get overwhelmed with emotions when writing about them and have to stop. Ruminating through memories and having to face the permanence of their physical absence sometimes became too much to bear. I couldn’t scrutinize those words as much as I did with the rest of the book. I wanted it to be honest, I wanted my love and admiration to shine through, I wanted the world to know how great they were despite their upbringing and flaws. I wanted to be sensitive to others who mourn them as well. I wanted to ease my grief by immortalizing them with my words. It was a tall order and it never felt good enough. It got to a point where I just had to trust the words.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?

I hope readers get a true sense of what it means to have a growth mindset. No matter what we face in life, we can overcome it if we believe in ourselves enough to take the first step.

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